Placentia Bronco achieves final goal at regional with decisive win in championship

Placentia’s Pony Bronco all-stars after winning the regional Monday night. (PHOTOS: Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone).

Placentia Pony Bronco’s 12-and-under all-star had already earned a trip to the super regionals later this week in Corona.

But the team had one more task at hand, a Central Regional title. Placentia accomplished that Monday defeating Torrance 10-0 at Placentia Sports Champions Complex in the championship game to finish the tournament undefeated.

Torrance needed two wins against undefeated Placentia to take the title. Torrance and Olive Orange also advance to the super regional.

To see the slide show, click on the first photo:

Monday’s game ended with a blast when Luke Hartshorn belted a two-run walk-off homer in the fifth inning to put the Punishers ahead by 10, ending the game with the 10-run rule.

It was a fitting ending with Hartshorn’s older brother Josiah, a former Orange Lutheran standout who was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the sixth round Monday, on hand to watch the game and congratulate his brother and his teammates after the game. Josiah Hartshorn spent a considerable amount of time talking to the young players.

It was another memorable touch to a successful tourney.

“Home cooking to a certain degree, it helps being familiar with the fields and some of the opponents, some we hadn’t seen since last year,” said Placentia Manager Nick Nunnari. “But I thought for the most part, everybody contributed and we were moving guys around consistently so it was exciting to see everyone contribute to a regional championship.

“It’s an honor to be able to play for a Central Region championship, it’s something they should be proud of.”

Pitchers Jack Nunnari and Beckham Mahoney combined to shutout Torrance.

Placentia took advantage of four walks and a hit batter to score three runs in the first inning. Hartsthorn drove in one run on a groundout and Adrian Rosales another on a single. Placentia then moved ahead 6-0 with three runs in the second inning, two coming on a double by Jeremiah Peterson.

The Punishers added two runs in the third, then two more in the fifth on the home run by Hartshorn.

“It was a beautiful swing by Luke, Luke has one of the prettiest swings on our team,” Nunnari said. “Right before that pitch was thrown, I looked at the scoreboard and I realized if he hits one out here, it’s going to be a walk-off. It’s great to see Luke do what he can do and put a great swing on the ball and walk it off today.”

Luke Hartshorn was excited about the finish.

“In the previous at bat, I hit a pop up to center and I just missed it, so I was just trying to get on top a little more …. and I hit a home run,” he said.

He was also proud of his squad, which captured four straight wins in win the regional.

“That’s pretty good, I think, hopefully we will keep winning like this and hopefully we keep playing well,” he said.

Torrance threatened with two runners on in the third inning, but Mahoney worked out of a trouble, retiring the next two batters and getting a strikeout for the third out.

“Jack usually likes settling in as a starter and throwing strikes and letting his defense do its thing, which he did today and Beckham loves the big moments, he brings a funky arm angle for us and did phenomenal, he came in at a tough spot against two of their really good hitters and did a great job getting out of that jam for us,” Nunnari said.

The Placentia manager was pleased with the patience his hitters had.

“They were a little wild early,” Nunnari said. “Our boys are really patient, it’s tough to do at times and stay within your approach and not chase outside the strike zone and get a little greedy. I thought they just stuck with their plan. I told them pre-game, ‘don’t expand the zone and lose your approach, just get on base and let the guy behind you do his thing.”

Now, the team will prepare for the super regional later this week. Placentia is scheduled to face Santa Ynez in the opener Thursday at 7:30 p.m. The tourney goes through Tuesday, July 22.

Torrance opens against Corona Friday at 7:45 p.m.

“It’s survive and advance each round, that’s our goal,” Nunnari said. “We don’t care what it looks like or what seed we get, we want to survive and advance and find a way out of supers. Supers is a gauntlet of 16 teams and it’s just find a way to live to see another day and hopefully make our way out of Corona and on to Moreno Valley.”

—Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com